Gizmag visits Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard, London

Last month, a new hotel opened at the Shard in London. Shangi-La at the Shard claims to be the tallest hotel in Western Europe, in the tallest building, with the highest champagne bar and the highest swimming pool. Naturally, it seemed only right for Gizmag to visit and give it our seal of approval.

The Shard was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano and sits on the South Bank of the Thames. it was completed in 2012 with the newly-remodeled London Bridge Quarter its base. The tower stands at 309.6 m (1,016 ft) tall, spread over 72 floors. Shangri-La occupies floors 34 to 52 of the Shard and, as you'd imagine, the views for guests to enjoy are pretty remarkable.

Amongst the iconic landmarks visible from one part of the hotel or another are St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, the Houses of Parliament, the Gherkin and, of course, the River Thames. Bedrooms and bathrooms on one side of the hotel also have what is a surprisingly compelling view of the train lines coming into London Bridge.

With an A-list architect, record-breaking specifications and a laser show inauguration, the Shard is no stranger to glitz and glamor. Shangri-La fits that bill like a bellhop's glove. A total of 202 rooms are available, with an average size of 42 sq m (452 sq ft). Each room includes a body-contouring bed and marbled bathroom with heated floor. Butler service is offered in all of the hotel's suites.

Guests can choose to relax the Shangri-La's restaurant, lounge champagne and cocktail bar or ground-floor deli and patisserie. Alternatively, on the top floor of the hotel, guests can use a 24-hour gym and will be able to take a dip in its infinity pool that is due to open this summer.

According to Shangri-La, its venue at the Shard is its 83rd hotel and its third in Europe. Rooms start at £450 (about US$763) per room per night.

Stu is a tech writer based in Liverpool, UK. He has previously worked on global digital estate management at Amaze and headed up digital strategy for FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology). He likes cups of tea, bacon sandwiches and RSS feeds. All articles by Stu Robarts